Biomass SouthCoast

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Forest Biomass Energy Opportunities on the South Oregon Coast Mike Cloughesy Oregon Forest Resources Institute

Woody Biomass: 

Woody Biomass “Material from trees and woody plants, including limbs, tops, needles, leaves and other woody parts, grown in a forest, woodland, farm, rangeland or wildland-urban interface environment that is the by-product of forest management, ecosystem restoration or hazardous fuel reduction treatment.” (Oregon Senate Bill 1072) Oregon Senate Bill 1072 was signed into law by Governor Kulongoski in 2005 and took effect January 1, 2006. SB 1072 directs state government to take a greater role in federal forest planning and management and encourages greater use of forest residues for bio-energy facilities on federal and state lands and development of other forest products.

Biomass Conversion – Forest Cluster Opportunity : 

Biomass Conversion – Forest Cluster Opportunity OFRI Study Premise: Woody Biomass could be harvested from overstocked, fire-prone forests and be used to make electricity, biofuels and other products Addresses three challenging Oregon needs: restoring forest health, fire resiliency and wildlife habitat, finding renewable energy alternatives, and revitalizing rural economies

Electricity is Best Bet – Near Term: 

Electricity is Best Bet – Near Term 600,000 BDT/yr :: 81 MW @ $45/BDT or 6.5¢/kWh Integrated stand management Combined Heat and Power (CHP) Areas where Fuel Supply (biomass) / Transportation Access / Power Grid overlap

Cellulose-to-Ethanol – Mid-term Goal: 

Cellulose-to-Ethanol – Mid-term Goal Production not yet Cost Effective Cellulase Enzyme Production Cellulosic ethanol - 85% efficient Corn ethanol - 20% efficient Crop residue such as grass straw can be used Most Research Based on Hardwoods Delignification of Conifers is expensive Market and Supply Experience Limited

A Vision of the BioEconomy in the Year 2020 : 

A Vision of the BioEconomy in the Year 2020 Biorefinery: Cluster of biobased industries producing chemicals, fuels, power, products, and materials. Source: NREL

Integrated Bio-Economy Has Many Facets : 

Integrated Bio-Economy Has Many Facets Source: Adapted From Iowa Industries of the Future, 2004. End-Uses Products Plastics Functional Monomers Solvents Chemical Intermediates Phenolics Adhesives Hydraulic Fluids Fatty acids Carbon black Paints Dyes, Pigments, and Ink Detergents Paper Horticultural products Fiber boards Solvents Plastic filler Abrasives Building products Fuel Power

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Plants Energy CO2 CO2 O2 Sugars No net CO2 produced in the cycle. Bio-Fuels Are Environmentally Attractive

Forms of Bio-Energy Resources: 

Forms of Bio-Energy Resources Wood Pulping liquor Municipal solid waste Organic materials in wastewater Landfill gas Biomass

Potential Sources of Biomass Energy: 

Potential Sources of Biomass Energy Energy crops Mill Waste Forest biomass Logging residues Restoration Thinnings Urban Wood Waste

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Available Acreage for Energy Crops 392 million acres of land in the U.S. is potentially available/suitable for energy crops . . . 55 million with high potential.

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Geographic Suitability for Energy Crops Hybrid poplars, Eucalyptus Hybrid poplars Switchgrass, Reed canary grass Eucalyptus Switchgrass, hybrid poplar, silver maple, reed canary grass, black locust Willows, hybrid poplar, silver maple, black locust Switchgrass, poplars, tropical grass, sycamore, sweetgum, sorghum, black locust Eucalyptus Corn, other ag. crops, ag. residues

Hybrid Poplar – An Energy Crop: 

Hybrid Poplar – An Energy Crop Grown under short-rotation silviculture Produce 4-10 dry tons of wood/acre/year Achieve a height of 60 feet in about six years. Compares to yields of less than 1 ton/ac/yr for native forests and 2.5 ton/ac/yr for managed pine plantations. Planted at wide spacings ranging from 8 x 8 feet to 12 x 12 feet (300-700 trees/ac) Allowed to grow for 6-12 years before harvest. Thousands of acres in PNW for chips and solid wood

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Forest Biomass

Estimated Potential Biomass by Source – United States: 

Estimated Potential Biomass by Source – United States Source: Perlack et al. (2005).

South Coast Opportunities: 

South Coast Opportunities Biomass facilities and markets Highly productive forest land Mostly private forest land Stable timber harvest Under-utilized logging slash Slash burning is costly and not popular Hybrid poplar plantations Tan oak – an opportunity

South Coast Wood Products Facilities: 

South Coast Wood Products Facilities East Fork Lumber Company - Myrtle Point Georgia Pacific - Coos Bay Northwest Hardwoods - Coos Bay Roseburg Forest Products – Coquille * Southport Forest Products - Coos Bay W&L Contractors - Myrtle Point Wilson Operations - Coos Bay Pacific Wood Laminates – Brookings * South Coast Lumber Company - Brookings * * Currently using biomass for process heat ** Currently using biomass for process heat and electricity

Logging Slash – South Coast Opportunity: 

Logging Slash – South Coast Opportunity High site forest land Managed on a fairly short rotation Clearcut harvest Whole tree harvest with processing on landings Landing piles are available for chipping for biomass Transportation is the challenge Slash burning is costly and not popular

Logging Slash – as Biomass: 

Logging Slash – as Biomass Waste/ non-merchantable material resulting from a timber harvesting operation. Includes tree tops, limbs, foliage, and non-merchantable logs. Limited markets for some small diameter timber for firewood, post & poles, and chips. Vast majority is simply piled and burnt on-site. Key challenges are costs to gather, load, haul, and process the material as well as issues with segregating the various fractions – wood, bark, and foliage.

Tan Oak – a South Coast Opportunity: 

Tan Oak – a South Coast Opportunity Native species grows in SW Oregon Large acreage in Curry County Limited markets for solid wood products and pulp Sprouts back prolifically after harvest or fire Fairly fast growth Could be harvested repeatedly for biomass

Merchantable Logs & Net Biomass in South Coast Counties – FIA Data: 

Merchantable Logs & Net Biomass in South Coast Counties – FIA Data

Timber Harvest & Potential Logging Slash in South Coast Counties – ODF Data: 

Timber Harvest & Potential Logging Slash in South Coast Counties – ODF Data

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Estimated biomass supply 1 million BDT of woody biomass capable of producing… 62 MW of electricity OR 26 million gallons of ethanol 410,000 BDT of woody biomass capable of producing… 150 MW of electricity OR 63 million gallons of ethanol

Conclusion: 

Conclusion The South Oregon Coast has great potential to develop as a center for biomass energy due to: Infra-structure – Mills & Harvesters Large area of forestland Large standing volume of forest Plentiful available logging slash on landings Potential for Hybrid poplar plantations Potential for Tan Oak management for biomass